Talking Toddlers

Erin Hyer
  • 4.6 (59)
  • Parenting
  • Updated Weekly

Calm, developmentally grounded guidance for moms of babies and toddlers. As a mom of a baby or toddler, it can feel like everyone has an opinion - and very few answers that actually make things clearer. The noise is loud. The pressure is real. And the uncertainty can be exhausting. Talking Toddlers is a podcast for moms who want calm, trustworthy, developmentally grounded guidance - without fear, guilt, or unrealistic expectations. I’m Erin Hyer, a licensed speech-language pathologist with nearly 35 years of experience supporting young children and their families. I’ve spent my career on the floor with toddlers, partnering with parents, consulting with early educators, and training graduate students to understand how children truly grow, learn, and communicate - through relationships, everyday routines, and meaningful language experiences. This podcast breaks down how the young brain learns, why certain behaviors or challenges show up, and how parents can gently support development before small concerns become bigger ones. I believe parents are in a powerful position — not to do more, but to understand more. Each episode offers: Practical, real-life strategies you can use during everyday routines Gentle explanations of the why behind toddler behavior and development Supportive conversations that help you feel less alone and more confident My goal is simple: to help moms feel empowered and toddlers feel supported - so learning, communication, and connection can grow naturally at home. New episodes of Talking Toddlers are released weekly.  This is a space for clarity, connection, and courage - where moms come to slow down, trust themselves, and support their child’s development with confidence.

  1. 3d ago

    Your Toddler Understands You. So Why Won’t He Listen? Ep 169

    “I know he understands me. So why isn’t he listening?” If you’ve ever thought that about your toddler, this episode will help you look at the moment a little differently. Understanding your words and being able to follow through are not the same developmental skill. Before your toddler can respond, he may need to register your voice, shift his attention away from what he is doing, process what you said, organize what comes next, and tolerate the interruption or transition. And sometimes, he understands perfectly well and simply does not want to do it. That matters, too. In this episode, Erin looks at what may be happening between understanding and doing — and why the answer is not always more words, more reminders, or another parenting script. You’ll hear how deep play, attention shifting, inhibition, sequencing, routines, and everyday participation all contribute to your toddler’s ability to follow through. Most importantly, this episode is about helping you become more confident in what you are seeing. Is your child still developing the skill? Does he need help getting started? Or does he simply need you to calmly and confidently lead? Your toddler is learning how to move from understanding into action. And you are learning how to recognize what is getting in the way. If you have a specific situation with your toddler that you keep replaying, Erin offers free 20-minute Clarity Calls to help you look more closely at what may be happening underneath the behavior. 🔗 Click here for CLARITY CALL HERE ------------------------------ Helpful links: ▶ Watch Talking Toddlers on YouTube:  Click HERE 📘 Download Erin’s free guide: 10 Essential Skills Before Talking 💬 Learn about parent coaching or schedule a Clarity Call: CLICK HERE TO CONNECT 🌿 Visit Hyer Learning: www.HyerLearning.com Educational and coaching information only. This episode is not a substitute for an individual speech-language, developmental, behavioral, or medical evaluation.

  2. Sep 8

    When Should You Help Your Toddler - and When Should You Wait? Ep 168

    When your toddler is struggling - with a zipper, a shoe, climbing onto something - how do you know if you should step in or wait? In this episode, early child development specialist and speech-language pathologist Erin Hyer (nearly 40 years working with toddlers and the families raising them) breaks down the difference between productive struggle and genuine overwhelm - and gives you a simple question to ask in the moment: is my child still available for learning? You'll learn: Why your toddler's brain actually needs some struggle to grow (and where that principle comes from)How to tell productive frustration apart from real overwhelm - before it escalatesThe one question to ask instead of "do I help or not": what's the smallest amount of support that helps my child succeed?This episode also connects back to two ideas from earlier in the series: episode 166's Model, Shape, Practice, Fade framework, and episode 167 on what actually teaches toddlers to talk. Erin closed her clinical practice a few years ago to do this instead - walk alongside parents before a small struggle becomes a bigger one.  If something in this episode brings a specific moment with your child to mind, bring it to a free Clarity Call - a complementary 20-minute conversation to sort through what's happening and figure out your next step. 🔗 Book a Clarity Call: CLICK HERE 🌐 www.HyerLearning.com  📧 contact@HyerLearning.com  📱 @erin.hyer DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your pediatrician or a qualified health provider with questions about your child’s development or health. The views shared are based on Erin Hyer’s professional experience and are intended to support informed parenting, not to replace individual consultation or care. Every child and family is unique — please use your discretion and consult trusted professionals when making decisions for your child.

  3. Sep 1

    Want Your Toddler to Talk More? Don't Practice Words Ep 167

    What if the most important part of your child learning to talk happens before he ever says a single word? Most moms don't start thinking seriously about speech until they're counting words: 18 months, 20 months, two years old.  But talking is not the beginning of language development. Words arrive after months of listening, watching, babbling, gesturing, imitating, taking turns, experimenting with sounds, and learning that communication gets another human being to respond. In this episode, I share a simple moment from a mothers' group that captures this beautifully. One nine-month-old baby was happily filling the room with a giant “AHHH!” Instead of treating it as noise, I joined her - and expanded what she was already doing. Within minutes, three babies were watching, listening, experimenting, and trying new sounds. That is how learning happens. We’ll talk about why language grows through participation, not performance, why questions like “What's this?” and “Can you say ball?” can easily become testing, and how ordinary moments throughout your day give your baby hundreds of opportunities to practice real communication. I’ll also walk you through my Model → Shape → Practice → Fade framework and show you how it applies from babbling all the way into words and early phrases. You don't need more speech drills. You need to recognize what your child is already giving you — and know how to build from there. FREE RESOURCE: The Top 10 Essential Skills Every Baby Needs Before Talking Find the free guide in the show notes and learn what to watch for long before you're worried about word counts. Because long before the words arrive, your child is already learning how to talk. ------------------------------ Helpful links: ▶ Watch Talking Toddlers on YouTube:  Click HERE 📘 Download Erin’s free guide: 10 Essential Skills Before Talking 💬 Learn about parent coaching or schedule a Clarity Call: CLICK HERE TO CONNECT 🌿 Visit Hyer Learning: www.HyerLearning.com ========================= DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your pediatrician or a qualified health provider with questions about your child’s development or health. The views shared are based on Erin Hyer’s professional experience and are intended to support informed parenting, not to replace individual consultation or care. Every child and family is unique — please use your discretion and consult trusted professionals when making decisions for your child.

  4. Aug 25

    Are You Accidentally Teaching Your Toddler to Whine? Ep 166

    Whining is one of the most common - and frustrating - phases of toddlerhood. But often, it doesn’t become a pattern because a child is “bad” or manipulative. It becomes a pattern because it works. In this episode, Erin Hyer, speech-language pathologist and early child development specialist, explains why toddlers whine, why “use your words” is often too vague for very young children, and how parents can begin replacing whining with clearer, more effective communication. This conversation is not about punishment, shame, or demanding more maturity than a toddler actually has. It’s about understanding how young children learn, recognizing what they are developmentally capable of, and knowing how to guide them with calm, simple, intentional support. Erin walks through the difference between whining as a learned pattern and whining as a child’s best available communication in the moment. She also shares a practical framework parents can begin using right away: model, shape, practice, and fade. If you’ve started noticing more whining lately — or you want to prevent it from becoming your toddler’s default way of communicating — this episode will help you understand the why behind the behavior and what your role is in shaping something better. Because the little years really are the big years. ------------------------------ Helpful links: ▶ Watch Talking Toddlers on YouTube:  Click HERE 📘 Download Erin’s free guide: 10 Essential Skills Before Talking 💬 Learn about parent coaching or schedule a Clarity Call: CLICK HERE TO CONNECT 🌿 Visit Hyer Learning: www.HyerLearning.com Educational and coaching information only. This episode is not a substitute for an individual speech-language, developmental, behavioral, or medical evaluation.

  5. Aug 18

    7 Everyday Habits That Interfere With How Your Toddler Learns Ep 165

    Do you jump in the second your baby struggles? Wipe her face after every bite? Keep the TV or a podcast running because the house feels too quiet? These are ordinary, loving habits — but sometimes our instinct to help, clean, entertain, or keep things moving can quietly take away the very experiences our babies and toddlers need to grow. In this episode, Erin Hyer, speech-language pathologist and early child development specialist, walks through 7 loving habits that can slow your child’s development — and explains what is happening underneath each one. You’ll learn why it matters to: give your child time to struggle and problem-solveprioritize floor time over too much container timeprotect quiet so language can developlet babies explore food without constant wiping and interruptiongive toddlers enough time to process and respondallow boredom and child-led playfollow your child’s attention instead of constantly redirecting itThis is not about guilt or doing everything perfectly. It’s about noticing the small patterns that fill your child’s day — and knowing when to step in, when to wait, and when a few extra seconds of space may be exactly what development needs. Sometimes slowing down is exactly what gives your child enough room to do the growing. 🔗 GRAB YOUR COMPANION GUIDE HERE Episode 162 SHARED ATTENTION: CLICK HERE Helpful links: ▶ Watch Talking Toddlers on YouTube:  Click HERE 📘 Download Erin’s free guide: 10 Essential Skills Before Talking 💬 Learn about parent coaching or schedule a Clarity Call: CLICK HERE TO CONNECT 🌿 Visit Hyer Learning: www.HyerLearning.com Educational and coaching information only. This episode is not a substitute for an individual speech-language, developmental, behavioral, or medical evaluation. Because the little years are the big years.

  6. Aug 11

    Why Your Toddler Won’t Pay Attention — And What Gets in the Way Ep 164

    What is stealing your toddler’s attention? If your child seems constantly distracted, overly active, emotionally reactive, or unable to stay with one activity for very long, the answer may be more complicated than simply “they need to learn to focus.” In this episode of Talking Toddlers, Erin looks at four powerful influences shaping a young child’s developing attention: predictable daily rhythms, restorative sleep, screens and overstimulation, and meaningful play and participation. You’ll learn why attention is not something we can demand from a toddler, why being still in front of a screen is not the same as developing healthy attention, and how sleep, family rhythms, real-life responsibilities, and open-ended play all influence a child’s ability to regulate, learn, communicate, and stay engaged. Erin also shares why she believes we need to look much more carefully at the environment surrounding a child before quickly labeling problems with attention or behavior. A developing brain has a history—and patterns of sleep, stimulation, movement, connection, and participation begin long before a child reaches school age. Most importantly, this is not about blaming parents or creating another list of things to worry about. It is about helping you recognize how much influence you already have through the ordinary rhythms of home life. Because attention is not built by repeatedly telling a toddler to “pay attention.” It grows through thousands of everyday experiences where a child is rested enough, regulated enough, interested enough, and involved enough to remain present. And when attention grows, so do learning, connection, participation, and language. Helpful links: ▶ Watch Talking Toddlers on YouTube:  Click HERE 📘 Download Erin’s free guide: 10 Essential Skills Before Talking 📞 Book a Clarity Call with Erin — Click here and let's talk.  🌿 Visit Hyer Learning: www.HyerLearning.com Educational and coaching information only. This episode is not a substitute for an individual speech-language, developmental, behavioral, or medical evaluation.

  7. Jul 28

    Stop Telling Your Toddler to Share - Teach This Instead. Ep 163

    Your toddler snatches a toy. The daycare flags it.  Another mom clocks it at a playdate. And somewhere in the back of your mind, a question starts to form: is something wrong with him? Nothing is. He's just being asked to do something he isn't built for - yet. In this episode, I break down the real difference between turn-taking and sharing — two skills that get talked about like they're the same thing, but develop on completely different timelines. You'll learn: Why turn-taking can start as early as 12 months — long before real sharing is even possibleThe honest age-by-age timeline for when turn-taking, and eventually sharing, actually shows up (it's later than most people think)Why genuine sharing doesn't reliably emerge until somewhere after your child's third birthdayHow to use the Three P's from episode 161 to build this skill at homeWhy what gets called "bad behavior" is often just a brain still under constructionThis one also gets personal. Almost forty years into this work, I share what the last three decades have actually taught me about the systems built to manage a room of toddlers — not to understand your individual child. New here? I'm Erin Hyer, a speech-language pathologist, with almost forty years working with toddlers and the families raising them.  This episode builds on episode 161 (The Three P's) and episode 162 (Joint Attention) — you don't need to have heard those first, but they'll fill in the fuller picture. Grab the FREE one-page Turn-Taking & Sharing Timeline Next week - episode 164 - we’ll sort through why some toddlers can settle in and focus - while others can't get there at all — and it has a lot less to do with willpower or personality than you'd think. Helpful links: ▶ Watch Talking Toddlers on YouTube:  Click HERE 📘 Download Erin’s free guide: 10 Essential Skills Before Talking 💬 Learn about parent coaching or schedule a Clarity Call: CLICK HERE TO CONNECT 🌿 Visit Hyer Learning: www.HyerLearning.com Educational and coaching information only. This episode is not a substitute for an individual speech-language, developmental, behavioral, or medical evaluation.

  8. Jul 21

    You Already Do the Most Important Thing — You Just Don't Know Why Ep 162

    You've been narrating everything. Labeling. Reading. Filling the room with language.  And nothing seems to be sticking. That's because your words only land when your child's attention and yours are on the same thing, in the same moment.  It's called shared attention — and you're already doing it without knowing how much it matters. In this episode I unpack what shared attention actually looks like between 12 and 24 months, the difference between a request and a shared moment, the connection to autism screening, and the one shift that makes your words actually land. Plus the discipline of the wait — counting to five so your child's brain has room to respond. One skill. One shift. Two minutes a day. Helpful links: ▶ Watch Talking Toddlers on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HyerLearning 📘 Download Erin’s free guide: https://hyerlearning.myflodesk.com/skillsfortalking 💬 Learn about parent coaching or schedule a Clarity Call: CLICK HERE TO CONNECT 🌿 Visit Hyer Learning: www.HyerLearning.com Educational and coaching information only. This episode is not a substitute for an individual speech-language, developmental, behavioral, or medical evaluation.

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4.6
out of 5
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About

Calm, developmentally grounded guidance for moms of babies and toddlers. As a mom of a baby or toddler, it can feel like everyone has an opinion - and very few answers that actually make things clearer. The noise is loud. The pressure is real. And the uncertainty can be exhausting. Talking Toddlers is a podcast for moms who want calm, trustworthy, developmentally grounded guidance - without fear, guilt, or unrealistic expectations. I’m Erin Hyer, a licensed speech-language pathologist with nearly 35 years of experience supporting young children and their families. I’ve spent my career on the floor with toddlers, partnering with parents, consulting with early educators, and training graduate students to understand how children truly grow, learn, and communicate - through relationships, everyday routines, and meaningful language experiences. This podcast breaks down how the young brain learns, why certain behaviors or challenges show up, and how parents can gently support development before small concerns become bigger ones. I believe parents are in a powerful position — not to do more, but to understand more. Each episode offers: Practical, real-life strategies you can use during everyday routines Gentle explanations of the why behind toddler behavior and development Supportive conversations that help you feel less alone and more confident My goal is simple: to help moms feel empowered and toddlers feel supported - so learning, communication, and connection can grow naturally at home. New episodes of Talking Toddlers are released weekly.  This is a space for clarity, connection, and courage - where moms come to slow down, trust themselves, and support their child’s development with confidence.

Information

  • Creator
    Erin Hyer
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    169
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Talking Toddlers
  • Show Website
    Talking Toddlers